Sefton has the third highest number of stalkers in the UK, with Merseyside named the top stalking capital of England and Wales.

In the first half of 2015/16 there were 275 cases of people caught persistently intruding in another person's life in the region.

The figures obtained by Mirror Online found that 40 of these were in Sefton.

Examples of stalking include following someone, bombarding them with messages, making unwarranted complaints about them as well as threats and violence.

The Home Office only started separating stalking in its crime data tables from last year.

Previously it would have been more generally categorised as 'harassment' or similar crimes.

The department is currently running a consultation about whether to introduce a 'stalking protection order'.

In the foreword to the consultation, the Home Secretary, Theresa May, wrote: "The nature of stalking can be delusional and obsessive with offenders going to extreme lengths to contact, follow and monitor their victims.

"I am determined that this Government will do everything possible to identify the fixated nature of stalking behaviour at the earliest opportunity, protect victims and intervene to deter perpetrators before stalking behaviour becomes entrenched."